By J. Russell Capps
Christian Action League
August 30, 2016
We’ve all heard it said many times, “This election is the most important ever.” However, there really never has been an election more vital than the present one.
Literally, on the national level the future of America hangs like a thread in the balance. Heading the ticket is the vote for the top office in the land and the matter of control of the U.S. Senate, which also is at stake.
Twenty-five current Republican members of the Senate are up for election. A lesser number of Democrat senate seats are at stake. A change in just a few of the seats could shift control of the Senate from Republican majority causing great instability in actions by Congress.
It is just two months now until Election Day. We must stay alert and educated on candidates, and vote.
The ballot will be loaded with choices to be made on all levels of government. To insure that everyone becomes properly informed is a tremendous undertaking. We all need to be vigilant to become informed on all the issues and, by all means, properly vote on all the issues.
State Judicial Races
The listing on the ballot regarding state judicial candidates will identify some by party (R or D) after the name and others without party identification by their name. The Judicial candidates are listed at the bottom of the Ballot, some even on the back of the Ballot which could cause them to be missed. The state Supreme Court conservative balance hangs on the choice for the one seat up for vote this time. Justice Bob Edmunds (R) currently holds that seat. Should he lose, the Supreme Court balance would swing from Republican control to Democratic control.
Wake Transit Plan
That’s not all. Also on the ballot for Wake County residents is a vote on a proposed one half cent sales tax increase to fund a $5.1 billion so called “Transit Plan”. The Wake County Taxpayers Association rightly refers to the proposal as a “Train Wreck”. The proposed plan calls for 3 times as many buses as are now operating (current ones have just one or two passengers most of the time), and listen, a proposed vehicle tax increase of $ 10 per vehicle, plus that old bugga-boo, Commuter Rail.
Weigh that proposal. Yes, I did say a $ 5.1 BILLION plan, which is just plain and simply a bad plan that would create more congestion, more traffic delays, more high risk, and more huge debt! That amount of money citizens are being called on to approve by way of a sales tax increase would be sufficient to buy every rider on the system a brand new Jaquar with maintenance, gasoline etc., for several years.
The “Plan”, a money pit, borrows another $ 720 million, expects State and Federal Grants, and creates a $ 1.8 billion debt loss for Wake County Taxpayers. It starves key priority services such as much needed paving of roads for existing vehicles.
This is a monster we must stop.
The vote will be on the ballot November 8. We need to spread the word to vote against it.
Russell Capps served as a Republican member of the North Carolina House from 1994-2006. He represented what was the 50th district until the legislature redrew districts. After redistricting he represented the 41st district. Both districts included various parts of Wake County. Capps is now retired. He is also a member of the Christian Action League’s Board of Directors.